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Russian OPEC Adviser Promoted To Deputy Energy Minister

Pavel Sorokin, who had been advising the Russian energy ministry on relations with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has been promoted to the post of deputy energy minister, the ministry said on March 12.

Sorokin, 32, a former oil and gas analyst at Morgan Stanley in Moscow, had headed the research center at the energy ministry since 2015 and was helping to establish the ministry's strategy in dealings with OPEC.

Sorokin, who accompanied Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak at most of his meetings with OPEC, including Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih, will be overseeing "development of the oil and gas sector, including taxation," the ministry said on March 12.

Russia and some other non-OPEC nations agreed with the OPEC at the end of 2016 to cut combined oil production by 1.8 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in a move to stabilise global oil prices. Russia has cut its output by 300,000 bbl/d under the deal.

Sorokin is not replacing any existing deputy energy minister, but taking a newly created post, becoming the eighth deputy to Novak.